Easing transition strain: Supporting service members moving into civilian life

For military service members, the transition to civilian life can come with emotional, financial and physical challenges. Outside the highly structured environment they’ve become accustomed to, Veterans must reinvent themselves. That includes learning about and navigating civilian systems, including employment, housing and health care. 

To better understand the transition out of service, Optum Serve commissioned a comprehensive ethnographic research project with Veterans, their caregivers and families, and health care providers.

This white paper highlights Veterans’ personal stories, capturing their transition from the early days after service to their ongoing efforts to access care and thrive in civilian life. Opportunities to make the system work better for Veterans and their families will be revealed, including ways to ease the transition process.  

Our recommendations include improving the pacing of education so it doesn’t become overwhelming, providing more tailored support and building upon the buddy system — a familiar and trusted approach that Veterans relied on throughout their service and can easily connect with during the transition process.